Steering-gear for motor-vehicles.



PATENTED 'SEPT. 6, 1904.

- E. MATHIEU.

STEERING GEAR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLIGATIOII FILED APR. 29' 1902 NO MODEL.

V UNITED V STATES Patented September 6, 1904,

PATENT OFF CE,

STEERING-GEAR FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,176, dated September 6, 1904.

v Application filed April 29, 1902. Serial No. 105,175- (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE MATHIEU, engineer, a citizen of the'Republic of France, residing at 37 Rue de laStation, Louvain, in the Kingdom of Belgium, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering Gear for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification. v

The present invention relates to a steeringgear for automobile-carriages of the kind in which a worm is employed, the rotation of which by a suitable wheel operates a system of levers and connecting-rods which transmit movement to the steering-wheels of thevehicle. Levers. of this kind as hithereto employed possess, as is well known, great inconveniences. Their non-reversibility is only ab- 'solutely assured by employing a worm so short that it necessitates giving amore or less considerable number of turns to the operatingwheel to insure a sufiicient movement being given to the levers operated by the worm, This is a great drawback, seeing that one of the essential conditions of security in the travel of an automobile-carriage rests in the possibility of obtaining a complete turning of the steering-wheels by means of a single turn, for example, of the hand steering-wheel. In all the levers of this kind in which the transmission is effected from the worm todifferent levers for example, by the medium of toothed sectors or worm-gearing a rapid wear of the screw-thread is set up at the place in which it is habitually in engagement with the toothed sector or the worm-gearing. The vibrations communicated to the levers and the shocks transmitted to them by the wheels at this point are borne by the screw-thread in such a manner that the latter becomes deteriorated or worn away, giving rise to a play more or-less considerable of such a nature as to interfere evident that play will be prevented at the part where the thread is generally in contact with the toothed sector; but there will be caused a jamming to a greater or less extent between the screw and the teeth of the sector immediately the relative position of these parts is modified by the rotation of the worm/ The foregoing will show the importance from the point of view of the sureness of the steering and the ease of manipulation of providing a steering-gear operated by a worm, and consequently non-reversible, in which a sufficient movement of the transmitti-ngdevers may be obtained, for example, by about a single turn of the operating-wheel without the necessity of recourse being had to a long screw-thread of a nature to diminish the nonreversibility and in which the play of theparts may be easily corrected without causing any jamming or friction liable to interfere with the ease of working. This is the object of the present invention, which for the purpose of obtaining these novel results consists, essentially, in effecting the necessary movement by the combination of two different movements of the worm-a movement of rotation and a movement of translation-in the direction of its axis and by utilizing as a means of transmitting movement from the worm to the different levers a double nut locked in an adjustable socket of special construction.

Referring to the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a steering-gear constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a section taken on line X X of Fig, 1.

According to my invention the steering mechanism is inclosed ina tube 1, terminated at its lower part by a" box 2, inclosing the thread, 'properly so called, of the worm and the part which communicates-movement to the operating-levers of the connecting-rods communicating with the wheels. v In this tube l is located a rod 3, terminated at its lower part by a thread 4, engaging corresponding threads of a nut formed of two half-cylinders 5 6, having between them a certain amount of play 7, the external cylindrical surfaces of these parts being inclosed in a split socket 8 of an angular lever 9, pivoting on an axis 10 and connected by one of its arms 11 to the lever operating the connecting-rods of the driving-wheels. The cylindrical socket 8, inclosing the two half-nuts 5 6, is adjustably locked upon them by means of two bolts 12 and nuts 13. From this construction it will be seen that if the worm 4: is rotated it will effect the movement either upward or downward of the two half-nuts 5 6, according to the direction of rotation. This nut will carry with it in its movement the cylindrical socket 8 and cause movement of the angular lever 9 11. Simultaneously the nut will turn to a greater or less extent in the socket 8, which will tend to withdraw itself from the axis of the worm 1. It results that during the angular movement of the lever 9 11 the rod 3 will undergo a slight displacement in the tube 1. In order to allow of this movement, the upward part of the rod 3 passes through a spherical sleeve 14, capable of turning around its horizontal axis in a socket 15, fixed to the upper part of the tube 1.

' It will be easily understood that if the rod 3, which carries at its upper part the hand steering-wheel 16, turned freely in the spherical sleevel l, which would then simply serve as a guide, the rotation of the rod 3 by means of the hand-wheel 16 would only efiect a movement-of the socket 8, (and consequently of the angular lever 9 11,) corresponding to the thread of the worm 1, whereby there could not be obtained by a single rotation, for example, of the hand wheel 16 a sufficient movement of the angular lever 9 11 Without diminishing the non-reversibility of its movement, as with the ordinary levers hitherto employed. In order to avoid this inconvenience and be able to obtain the necessary movement by about a single turn of the worm 1, or in any case by a number of turns less than that generally employed, the rod 23, carrying the worm 1, receives simultaneously with its rotation a movement of translation in the direction of its axis by means of a screw-thread 17, (of an opposite hand to that of the worm 4,)with which it is provided at its upper part and which engages the corresponding screwthread formed in the opening of the spherical sleeve 14, consisting of a nut formed in two parts 18 18, of similar construction to the nut 5 6 at the lower part of the rod and upon which the worm acts. The amount of play 19 between the two parts 18 18' ,of this nut may be regulated by means of bolts 20 to allow of tightening the socket 15 more or less at the upper part of the tube. This latter socket 15 is provided at its upper part with an opening 21, allowing the screwthreaded part 17 of the rod 3 to pass therethrough. In the same way the socket 8, inclosing the nut 5 6 at the lower part of the tube, is provided with an elongated opening 22 to allow of the passage of the worm 4: in the relative displacement of this worm and of its socket 8.

From the foregoing the operation of the hereinbefore described system of steeringlever will be easily understood. If the screwthreads 17 and 1 at the upper and lower parts of the tube are respectively of fifteen and twenty millimeters, for example, it is clear that a single turn of the operating-\vheel will effect on the one hand the longitudinal movement of fifteen millimeters of the worm 4: at the lower part of the tube and on the other hand the movement of twenty millimeters of the nut in two pieces 5 6 on the said worm 4;, so that the total movement of this nut will comprise the sum of these two movements, or thirty-five millimeters, which will allow of obtaining a suiiicient movement of the angular lever by a number of turns of the operatingwheel far below the number generally necessary. One of the essential conditions above indicated will thus be eii'ected without important mechanical complications. The lower nut in two parts 5 6 during its movement on the worm t will carry along the socket 8, thus effecting the movement of the angular lever 9 11. During this movement the nut will turn slightly in its socket 8, and in consequence of the change of position of the angular lever 9 10 the rod 3 will take up a position more or less oblique in the tube 1, its upper part turning for this purpose slightly with the upper nut in two parts 18 18 in its socket '15.

It will be seen that with this construction, owing to the employment of the nut in two parts 5 6 at the lower part of the tube combined with its socket 8, in no case will there be produced one of the inconveniences actually met with in the lovers operated by worm-gearing arising from vibrations transmitted to the worm. In effect, the nut 5 6 is at the lower part of the tube, so to speak, inclosed in a frame formed by its socket 8. This frame will receive the vibrations transmitted to it by the dili'erent levers; but as it incloses the adjustable nut the play set up can always be corrected without afl'ecting the Y working of the worm in its nut. The play can consequently be easily adjusted at any time without fear of jamming or other irregularities of working, such as those above indicated.

Having thus described my invention, l declarethat what I claim is- 1. In a steering-gear for motor-vehicles, in combination, a rod provided with a steeringwheel, a worm at the end of said rod, a nut in which said worm is engaged, a split socket inclosing said nut and provided with an angular lever operating the connecting-rods of the wheels of the vehicle and means whereby the rod and the worm acting in the nut may be displaced. longitudinally when the rod is rotated by the steering-wheel, substantially as set forth.

2. In a steering-gear for motor-vehicles, in combination a rod provided with a steeringwheel, a worm at the lower end of said rod, said worm acting in a nut inclosed by a split socket provided with an angular lever pivoting on an axis, and a screw-threzul of an oppollO combination with a rod adapted-to be rotated on its axis and to be simultaneously displaced longitudinally, a worm provided at the lower part of said rod, a nut formed of two halfcylinders and in which acts the said worm, anda split socket inclosing the two semicylindrical parts of the nut and provided with bolt for adjusting the split socket on the nut,

substantially as set fortl 4:. 'In a steering-gear for motor-vehicles, in combination, a tube 1, a rod 3 located insaid tube and provided at its lower part with a Worm 4:, a nut formed of two half-cylinders 5, 6, inclosed in a split socket 8 forming part of an angular lever 9, 11 pivoting on an axis, the said nut being acted upon by the Worm, a screw-thread 17 at the upper part of the rod, the said screW-thread'being of an opposite hand to that of the worm, a nut formed of tWo half-cylinders 18, 18 and in which the said screw-thread is engaged and a split socket 15 inclosing the said nut and forming part of the tube 1, the said socket being provided at its upper part with an opening 21 allowing the rod 3 to pass therethrough and to receive a steering-wheel 16 at its upper end, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

5. 'A steering device for road-vehicles consisting of a rotatable steering-post having a right and a left hand thread cut thereon, a

rigid support for said post, a nut rigidly secured to said support for engagement with one of said threads, a movable nut for engagement With the other of said threads, an elbowlever depending from said support with one arm of which said movable nut is pivotally connected, combined with suitable connections between the other arm of the lever and the steering-Wheels of the vehicle.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

EUGENE MATHIEU. \Witness'es:

GEORGE BEDE, GREGORY PHELAN. 

